Half to chaeles e



(No Model.)

T. H. PARKER.

l ELECTRIC GAS LIGHTER. No. 286,481. Patented Oct. 9.1883.

MW e M@ N. PETEHS. Plum-Mmmm. waning D c.

l Fig. 2.

UNITED STATESA THEODORE H. PARKER, OF BOSTON,

MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR OF ONE- ELECTRIC GAS-LIG HTpER.

SPECIFICATION forming, part of Letters Patent No. 286,481, dated October 9, 1883.

Application filed J' une 4, 1883. (No model.)

To all whom t may concern,.-

Be it known that I, THEODORE H; PARKER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Bos ton, in the county of Suffolk and State of Massachusetts, have invented cert-ain new and useful improvements in Electric Gas Lighters; and I do hereby declare that the same areY fully described in the following specication and illustrated in the accompanying drawings.

This invention relates to improvements in electric gaslighters; and it has for its object to return the movable electrode to its. normal position after the gas is lighted withoutpass-4 ing such electrode through the flame or bringing it in contact with the insulated stationary electrode at the tip of the burner, by which arrangement the movable electrode is prevented from being heated andlosing its springtemper, as well as preventing the deposit of carbon from the flame on'said movable elec trede, and thus insuring a proper and clean metallic contact-point between the stationary and movable electrodes, and thus preventing failures in lighting the gas at the iirst break of the electric current, which is so common with ordinary electric gas-lighters in which the movable electrode passes back through the ilaine after the'gas is ignited.

By operating1 the movable electrode as above set forth, unnecessary waste of/batterypower is prevented.

The invention is carried out as follows, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, where- Figure 1 represents a front elevation of the improved electric gas-lighter, showing the movable electrode swung back to its normal position. Fig. 2 represents a front elevationof the same, shoWingt-he movable electrode in the act of passing back below the ilameafter the gas-jet has been ignited. Fig. 3 represents aA vertical section on the line A B, shown in Fig. 4 represents a front view of the movable electrode-lever shown detached from the burner, and' Fig. 5 represents a modified form of my invention.

Similar letters refer to similar parts wherever they occur on the different partsof the drawings.

c represents the stop-cock body, with its four-way cock c', as usual.

:b is the hollow burner, with its lava tip c, to which is secured the insulated stationary electrode d in the ordinary manner. The elec- 5 5 trede d is attached to a metal band, d', which is connected by means of a wire to the battery in the usual way. y

d is a suitable insulating material interposed between the interior of the metal band 6o e and exterior of the lava or other tip, c, as is common in electric gas lighters of this kind.

e is a ratchet-wheel, as usual, secured to the forward end of the outwardly-projecting 6 5 shank a of the cock c. The said ratchetwheel e has twice as many teeth on its circumference as there are openings in the cock c', by which arrangement the latter will be opened or closed by turning the ratchet-wheele around 7o its axis a distanceA equal to the pitch of the teeth thereon.

Back of the ratchet-wheel c is located on the shank a the movable electrode-lever f, the hub f" of -whichhas a slotted perforation, 75 f, that encompasses the shank c, and on which it may turn as well as move in a radial direction. f

g is the platinum electrode, attached to upper end of the movable electrode-lever f, as 8o shown.

c3 is a stationary stop-pin secured to the stop-cock body a, against which the stop projectionsf3 and f4 on the lever f come at rest at the limit of the stroke of said lever.

It is a pawl-lever hinged at h to the lever f, and provided with a tooth or pawl, h, which is caused to engage in the teeth of the ratchet` wheel c when the pawl-lever h is pulled downward by taking hold 0f `the chain' or cord or 9o rod t'.

f5 is a pawl projection attached to or made in one piece with lower end of pawl-lever f, which projection is made to engage "with the teeth on the ratchet-wheel c when the pawl- 95 lever h is pulled downward. y

la is a coiled spring wound around the pin c3, and having one end adapted to rest in the space between two successive teeth on ratchetwheele, and its other end attached to elec- 10o .return motion of electrode g, after the gas has been ignited, without coming in contact with l the flame-or the insulated stationary electrode d.

rIhe operation of my invention is as follows: Before the gas is turned on and lighted7 the different part-s are in their normal positions, as shown in Fig. 1. To turn on or light the gas I pull the chain or rod@l downward against the influence of the spring k, causing the pawllz. to actuate the ratchet-wheel e, by which the gas-passage is opened and the electrode-lever f moved in the direction shown in the arrow in Fig. l, and in so doing its electrode g comes in contact with the stationary insulated electrode d, and by continuing the motion of said electrode-lever f a spark is emitted between the electrodes when the current is broken, causing the gas to -be ignited. During the forward motion of the electrode-lever f in the manner as above described, it is automatically pressed outward in a radial direction against the iniiuence of the spring la by the combined action of the pawls h and f5 on the ratchetwheel e, so as to make and break the contact between the electrodes d and ig but when the operator relieves his hold on the chain or rod i, (after the stop projection f* is brought in contact with the stationary stop-pin a) the electrode-lever f is automatically carried back to its normal position by the inuence of spring k, and during such backward motion the said lever f is drawn toward the center of the cock by the spring k and the pawl f5 passing backward over a tooth ofthe now stationary ratchetwheel c sufficiently to permit the electrode g vto pass beneath the electrode d and beneathv the iiame, as above set forth, and so on.-

. The modiiication'shown in Fig. 5 consists only in making the pawl F, pawl-lever F, and electrode-lever F in one piece, and hinging the same at F3 to the 'hub G, which is supported on the shank of the cock, by which the same result is obtained. other parts of the invention are arranged, combined, and made to operate in the same man ner ashercinabove set forth.

Having thus fully described the nature, construction, and operation of my invention, I

wish to secure by Letters Patent, and claim- 1. In an electric gas-lighter, the combination of a stationary electrode located at the tip of the burner, a movable electrode adapted in its forward movement to touch and break contact with the stationary electrode, and in its backward movement to pass beneath it and the iiamc, so as not to be affected by the flame, and means for operating the movable electrode, substantially as described.

2. In an electric gas-lighter, the combination of a stationary electrode at the tip of the burner with an oscillating and radially-movable lever carrying an electrode, and means for operating the lever to cause its electrode to touch and break contact with the station ary electrode in the forward movement of the lever, and to pass beneath the stationary electrode and the flame in the backward movement ofthe lever, substantially as and for the purpose described.

, 3. In an electric gas-lighter, the stationary electrode d at the tip of the burner, in combination with the slotted lever f, hinged on the gas-cock, and having stops f3 f4, pawl projection f5, hinged pawl-lever h, its pawl 71., the ratchet-wheel e, spring 7c, stop-pin c3, and movable= electrode g, as and for the purpose set forth.

In testimony whereof I have affixed my signature in presence of two witnesses.

ALBAN ANDRN, HENRY CHADBOURN.

In said modification the' 

